Electrical contact



21, 1941. w. OSEINYBER 2,229,585

ELECTRICAL CONTACT I Fil'ed Jply 26, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 2l,1941. w. osENBERG ELECTRICAL CONTACT 'Filed July 26, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet2 Fig/f /grofP/ws y W. OSENBERG ELECTRICAL CONTACT Filed July 26, 1937Jan. 21, 1941.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 21, 1941 UNITED STATES kELECTRIAL CONTACTWerner Osenberg, Dresden, Germany, assignor to Kerb-Konus G. m. b. H.,Dresden, Germany Application July 2s, 1937, serial No. 155,818 InGermany February 4, 1937 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved type of electricalapparatus whereby materials formerly considered impractical are renderedcapable of new uses and applications in the electrical arts.

During the manufacture of ceramic bodies by molding and baking or themanufacture of dielectrics from resins, condensation products such asphenolic condensation products, urea formaldehyde resins, etc., andpolymerization products, etc., they acquire a somewhat denite shape butin many cases the precise dimensions of the completed article cannot bedetermined and set in advance. Consequently, it is not possible toadjust with absolute precision the desired interval between the electricconducting surface and the electric conducting surface on a companionpiece which is to cooperate in order to establish an electrical circuit.As a rule such dielectrics had to be accepted as they were because suchceramic bodies and the like were in common practice considered to beabsolutely rigid. It is an object of the invention to improveconstructions of this type because according to the invention theconductive portions of a ceramic body or dielectric body of this typemay be made somewhat elastic by cutting out tongues, grooves, recessesand the like.

y In some cases the dielectric body so rendered resilient or somewhatelastic in part may be used by itself in the electrical artsbut'generally is used in cooperation with another element.

It is an object of the invention to modify dielectrics of the typeindicated by means of tongues, spirals or the like so as to provide inwhat ordinarily is considered a practically rigid body sufficientelasticity ot permit an electrically conductive layer on such bodies tocome into a position that will influence the electrical condition.

It is a further object of the invention to regulate the extent of theelasticity provided in dielectrics of the type indicated by properlyselecting the type of weakening cut desired in each case. For example, aspiral shape for some situations or a strip extending around acylindrical body in other cases.

It is a further object of the invention to render dielectrics uponwhich. a metallic coating constitutes the electrical lead suitable foruse in .all electrical situations. Such electrical coatingv may beprovided upon the dielectric by spraying or fusing or any other desiredprocess.

A further object of the invention is to provide structures ordinarilyconsidered of rigid material somewhat elastic so that proper electricalcontacts might be made with the use of such material or inductioneffects obtained heretofore considered impossible.

A further object of the invention is to provide 5 modications in thestructure of dielectrics composed of ceramic materials andartiiicialresins whereby such modiiications will-eliminate the deficienciesinherent in such structures due to their manufacture or inherent in thedielectric mate- 10 rial itself.

With these and other objects which will become apparent from theparticular description below, the invention resides in the combinationof elements and parts hereinafter set forth, 15 claimed in the claims,and shown in the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional View of an electrical switching element;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the switching element 20 shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a modified switch construction shown in cross section;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view with part shownin 'elevation of a tubesocket having the inven- 25 tion incorporated therein;

Fig. 5 is va sectional view taken on the section line V--V of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a partial cross sectional View illustrating a detail of thesocket shown in Fig. 4. 30

Fig. 7 is a partial elevational View of a modified form of a tube baseconstruction;

Fig. 8 is a partial elevational view showing a further modifiedstructure;

Fig. 9 is a partial view illustrating another 35 modification; Fig. 10isf a cross sectional view with parts shown in elevation of another typeof tube base having the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 11 is a bottom plan view of the form of 40 construction shown inFig. 12;

Fig. 12 is a cross sectional view of another type of tube base withparts shown in elevation.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts have like referencecharacters, I indicates a base 45 plate which is made from ceramicinsulating material or from the resin materials set forth above, onwhich'there is secured a comb-shaped mem- .ber 2 having elastic contacttongues 3 which also are formed from the dielectric materials out- 50lined above. These contact tongues are made so thin that on .being urgeddownwardly by the eccentric cam discs 4 they will bend downwardly untiltheir contact lugs 5 contact thel contact ledge 6 provided upon the baseplate l. The con 55 tact lugs 5 and the contact ledge 6 are formed bymetallic coatings provided upon the ceramic or dielectric materialitself. These coatings may be sprayed or fused on.

The contact Icoating 6 on the base plate I is conductively connected tothe soldering joints 8 and the contacts 5 on the lower side of thecontact tongues 3 are conductively connected by the coatings abovementioned to the soldering joints 1. These conductive connections may befused on switch strips or metallic coatings or layers as abovementioned.

In some cases where use is made of high frequency currents, analteration of the distance interval between the contacts 5 and 6 issuilcient to produce an alteration of the electrical condition withoutthe necessity of bringing the contacts 5 and 6 into contact."

It is also possible to -adjust or vary the electrical conditions to anextremely great extent by having a plurality of tongues cooperate withaplurality of corresponding opposing surfaces.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 3 relates to a switch that has contacttongues 9 and I0 which. are provided with conductive surfaces orcoatings and the contact tongues are themselves formed of dielectricmaterial of the type indicated above. In this case the closing of theswitch is brought about by means of the rotatable cylinder I I which isalso made of dielectric material and has on its surface a metalliccoating of the desired extent and type. Connection strips formed bymeans of spraying a coating thereon, for example, lead to the connectionjunctions I4 and I5 from the contact coatings I2 and I3 upon the elastictongues 9 and I0.

In Fig. 4 there is shown a tube base I6 made -of ceramic material or thelike which has its top edge fused to the glass body Il of a vacuum tubeor the like. The tube base I6 has bracket type projections I8 which areprovided with electric ff tact against the corresponding contactcoatings I9 provided upon the .bracket type lugs I8 on the tube base I6.

As may be seen from Fig. 6 connection strips 24 are fused on orsprayedon the cylindrical inside wall of the socket 2I. These thin metalliccoatings lead from the contact coatings 23 of the tongues 22 through thewall of thesocket 2| to the connection points 25 provided on thecircular base plate'of the socket 2l. The thickness of the tongues 22are kept as thin as possible at the points where they are connected withthe socket body in`brder to secure as much elasticity as possible.

In order to increase the elastic eiIect, the elasticy contact tongues 26as shown in Fig. 7 may be provided. These are oi spiral shape in orderto provide a greater length or they may be of the well known meanderpattern.

In Fig. 8 the main body 21 is provided with long tongues 28 cut out inthe form of a round spiral in order to secure greater elasticty.-

In Fig. 9 there is -shown a further modication in which the main body 29in the form of a ..ollow cylinder is provided with longitudinallyextending elastic tongues 30. In the embodiaaaasss ment shown in thedrawings, several such tongues are shown distributed at intervals butobviously a single tongue may extend more or less over the entirecircumference of the cylindrical body Furthermore, the tongues mayextend spirally in several windings.

In Fig. l0 there is another type of tube base 3| whichis formed oi.'dielectric material of the type indicated, such as ceramic materialparticularly which is provided with elastic contact tongues 32 which inturn have sevral subdividedv conductive coatings forming contactsurfaces 33 which are provided with soldering holes. '.l'he

' outer bottom surface of the base has conductive coating bracket typecontact lugs 34 which are also provided with soldering junction holes.

Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate a tube base 35 made of ceramic insulatingmaterial, which base has its lower side provided with the projections 33which are integral with the base.. These plug or pin projections areprovided with a metallic coating 3l which may be produced by a sprayingprocess or the like. The plus. are provided with'apex'- tures 38 whichare also provided with conductive coatings which will provide theelectrical connecing of dielectrical bodies ordinarily considered toorigid, sufliciently elastic and flexible to be applied in a vast numberof instances and to simplify constructions ordinarily used. Substancesthat are formed of ceramic materials and material similar thereto arenot of themselves elastic. Also ceramic bodies and substances similarthereto which have ilrst to be shaped and thereafter baked cannot havetheir dimensions exactly predetermined to fractions of an'inch in orderto secure perfect contact when two of such surfaces are broughttogethert Even if the surfaces were prepared byA grinding or the likebefore application of an electrically conductive coating, it would stillbe impossible .as a rule to equalize the diiierence that results fromthe baking process and especially so with respect to relatively largebodies. Also as indicated above,y the invention is not limited'toelements forming electrical connections but single elements havingelectrical coatings thereon may be utilized in the art dueto thevariations in induction eiect produced. Such induction effects may beaccomplished by the use of a cylindrical` body, a in the'foi'm ofahollow sphere, or in the forni of a plate with spiral cuts or cuttherein. The applicability of these forms depends upon the basic conceptot rendering ceramic bodies somewhat elastic or resilient'either inwhole or in part.

I claim;

1. 'A socket for use in the electrical arts co prisinga cup-shaped bodyof rigid non-conducting material, slits in the side of said body to formresilient tongues and electrical leads on said tongues.

2. A 'error use m the electrical arts comprising a cup-shaped body ofrigid non-conducting material, slits in the side of said body to formslits therein to form a resilient tongue and an electrical lead on saidtongue.

7. A socket for use in the electrical arts comprising a cup-shaped bodyof rigid non-conducting ceramic material, slits in the side of said 5body to form resilient tongues and electrical leads on said tongues.

8. A socket for use in the electricalarts comprising a cup-shaped bodyof rigid non-oonduct ing synthetic resin material, slits in the side ofl0 said body to form resilient tongues and electrical leads on saidtongues.

WERNER OSENBERG.

